44 THE AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 
pine-seeds—a desire fully satisfied according to the fashion of that Providence 
which works so variously through nature, and whose method we are pleased to 
call evolution. The bill of the bird was not meant for an organ of the finest 
precision, and Buffon, the Deist, once won a cheap applause by railing at the 
Almighty for a supposed oversight in this direction; but as a matter of fact 
its wonderful crossed mandibles enable the Crossbill to do what no other bird 
can, viz., pry open the scales of a pine cone and extract the tiny seed with its 
tongue. Besides this the bird is not so awkward in the use of its bill as was for- 
merly supposed, since it frequently alights on the ground and picks up the fallen 
seeds, together with other food. Apples, left hanging, and mellowed by the 
frosts, are favorite winter tidbits, and the birds have been accused of doing 
some trifling damage to grain in the field. 
Crossbills give out an intermittent rattling cry or excited titter, few, tew, 
tew, while feeding. The flight note is a short, clear whistle, and a flock com- 
posed of separately undulating individuals affords a pleasing sensation to both 
eye and ear as it rapidly passes. The male is said to have a sprightly whistling 
song of a most agreeable character, and he sometimes opens the season as early 
as February. 
Specimens kept in captivity exhibit some of the traits of Parrots. Thus, 
they grasp the wires of the cage with their bill as well as with their feet and 
move about by its aid. ‘They hang head downward with indifference and they 
convey food to the mouth by holding it in one foot. It is not surprising that the 
birds are easily domesticated, even when full grown, since they are so unsus- 
picious < as to admit of capture by the hand. I once caught an adult female in 
mid-air as a flock fluttered up confusedly from the ground. According to Dr. 
Brewer, a nest with eggs of this species was once secured early in March by Mr. 
Charles S. Paine, in East Randolph, Vt. “The nest was built in an upper 
branch of an elm—which, of course, was leafless—the ground was covered with 
snow, and the weather severe. ‘he birds were very tame and fearless, refusing 
to leave their eggs, and had te be several times taken off by the hand. After its 
nest had been taken, and as Mr. Paine was descending with it in his hand, the 
female again resumed her place upon it, to protect her eggs from the biting 
frost.” 
